Tannoy factory closure auction - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

McMurdo · 3rd Dec 2020, 3:18 pm

Tannoy's speaker factory at Coatbridge has been earmarked for a housing estate and everything must go. There's a few vintage-looking speakers in the auction catalogue:

https://www.sweeneykincaid.com/Auctions/SaleDetail/3875

dave walsh · 3rd Dec 2020, 3:46 pm

Yes some interesting bits and pieces there Kevin, among the general factory hardware. So far no crazy bids! Nice cabinets etc. I was interested in the hefty older ones at 37 and the pseudo thirty's styling at 38. There's been a lot of interest in toast and vintage Chrome Toasters on here recently. I notice "no bids" on the 4 slice machine at 311

. Shame about the Tannoy name slipping away

. They were so well known that [like Hoover] "Tannoy" came to represent an object in itself, not just the name of a manufacturer!

Dave W

emeritus · 3rd Dec 2020, 5:49 pm

I note that 20% VAT, plus 15% premium, plus VAT, means you will have to fork out getting on for 40% more than your bid.

dglcomp · 3rd Dec 2020, 8:32 pm

Here's the statement about the closure from the tannoy FB page,

Music Tribe to Consolidate Tannoy Manufacturing to European Facility and Relocate its Scottish Tannoy Manufacturing Plant
Music Tribe announces the consolidation of manufacturing operations and significant investment in a new high-tech facility to deliver its promise of innovative products and competitive pricing.
Music Tribe is committed to the future of Tannoy and its enduring legacy of technical innovation. The company is heavily investing in product development and engineering while consolidating current manufacturing within Europe. In addition to Music Tribe’s nine global Innovation Centers, the company is now recruiting world-class engineers for its Acoustic Division in Manchester, UK to execute on the new Tannoy product road map. The consolidation will create additional employment within the Innovation and Research Divisions.
Product Category Leader Chris Hinds adds: “With regret, the Coatbridge Landlord announced their intention to re-purpose the land and tear down the ageing facility (Housing proposal for Coatbridge factory site: http://ow.ly/EclU50C2KqR). We have decided to relocate manufacturing to another European facility, whilst also investing in our Manchester high-tech innovation center. We would like to pay our respects and thank all those affected for their incredible support and commitment.”
Chris Hinds
Product Category Loudspeaker Leader

Will be interesting to see where they move manufacturing to in Europe as I didn't think that Music Tribe had much European manufacturing capability, only Lab.gruppen and that's being moved to their Asian factories.

ajgriff · 3rd Dec 2020, 9:04 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by emeritus

I note that 20% VAT, plus 15% premium, plus VAT, means you will have to fork out getting on for 40% more than your bid.

Surely VAT is only payable on the buyers' premium which means that the total cost of buying is 18% of the hammer price?

Alan

emeritus · 4th Dec 2020, 12:20 am

That was what puzzled me. One item allegedly liable for VAT is a box of old screwdrivers, but from a skim though the only items where no vat was mentioned was those where no bid had been made. All the bid ones I looked at said the reserve price had not been reached. Not that I am interested in buying anything, just looking while it was too wet to go out.

Michael Maurice · 4th Dec 2020, 2:01 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajgriff

Quote:

Originally Posted by emeritus

I note that 20% VAT, plus 15% premium, plus VAT, means you will have to fork out getting on for 40% more than your bid.

Surely VAT is only payable on the buyers' premium which means that the total cost of buying is 18% of the hammer price?

Alan

I recently bought something from another auction, VAT was added to both buyers premium and item.

ajgriff · 4th Dec 2020, 2:53 am

Depends on the type of auction apparently. The following quote from one auctioneer's website may help to clarify:

"Most commercial auctioneers (i.e. those involved in disposal of commercial assets by reason of business mergers, administrations, liquidations, disposals etc.) sell under normal VAT rules. This is principally because the Auctioneers' Margin Scheme cannot be used where the goods have had VAT on their purchase reclaimed from HMRC - as will almost always be the case when auctioning goods previously bought by VAT registered businesses."

I've never bought anything from a commercial auctioneer so have not been charged VAT on the hammer price. You live and learn.

Alan

McMurdo · 4th Dec 2020, 10:03 am

The online catalogue of a closed factory is always a sad sight, not only the tools of manufacture such as the big 'magnetizers' and 'spray booths' but the messroom microwaves and fridges. Last summer I ordered a batch of wooden PA speakers from Tannoy and they were proudly marked 'Made in Britain'. The client was very pleased as he was upgrading from some older Tannoy speakers that were made before these offshore trends had been established. Despite one of them being dropped and broken by the courier, the build quality was stunning. (they were expensive, I would add!).
The local rag up there reports that german parent Music Tribe (Behringer) were only moving the factory 'up the road' to a new factory, but then curiously changed their mind at the eleventh hour. Behringer have a huge city-like factory in China (there's a factory tour on youtube, shot in 2007) where hitherto most of the brands they took over are now made, AFAIK.
Their UK service department is at another subsidiary (Klark Technik) in Kidderminster, I think, as that is where my replacement speaker and Final Test Certificate came from.

https://youtu.be/NqUGLUJF7y4

kevinaston1 · 4th Dec 2020, 8:11 pm

My company distributed and serviced Tannoy Pro Audio around ten years ago, when they were part of the TC group.

They were greatly loved by the disco fraternity. They were fine sounding cabinets, but the VNET 218DR was a disaster for them.

Nothing wrong with the cabinet or its drivers, but their own design amplifier module was a complete waste of time, we never had one run for more than a couple of weeks.

One local club had had so many amplifier modules fail, that TC authorised us to provided them with a free of charge Lab Gruppen amplifier to drive their racks of sub bass cabinets, we had to modify the cabinets by replacing the amplifier chassis panel with a braced wooden panel containing just a pair of Speakon connectors.

Never had a recall to the club after that.

3rd Dec 2020, 3:18 pm	#1
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,270	Tannoy factory closure auction Tannoy's speaker factory at Coatbridge has been earmarked for a housing estate and everything must go. There's a few vintage-looking speakers in the auction catalogue: https://www.sweeneykincaid.com/Auctions/SaleDetail/3875 __________________ Kevin

3rd Dec 2020, 3:46 pm	#2
dave walsh Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Ramsbottom (Nr Bury) Lancs or Bexhill (Nr Hastings) Sussex. Posts: 5,817	Re: Tannoy factory closure auction Yes some interesting bits and pieces there Kevin, among the general factory hardware. So far no crazy bids! Nice cabinets etc. I was interested in the hefty older ones at 37 and the pseudo thirty's styling at 38. There's been a lot of interest in toast and vintage Chrome Toasters on here recently. I notice "no bids" on the 4 slice machine at 311. Shame about the Tannoy name slipping away. They were so well known that [like Hoover] "Tannoy" came to represent an object in itself, not just the name of a manufacturer! Dave W

3rd Dec 2020, 5:49 pm	#3
emeritus Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK. Posts: 5,337	Re: Tannoy factory closure auction I note that 20% VAT, plus 15% premium, plus VAT, means you will have to fork out getting on for 40% more than your bid.

3rd Dec 2020, 8:32 pm	#4
dglcomp Heptode Join Date: Jul 2016 Location: Portland, Dorset, UK. Posts: 874	Re: Tannoy factory closure auction Here's the statement about the closure from the tannoy FB page, Music Tribe to Consolidate Tannoy Manufacturing to European Facility and Relocate its Scottish Tannoy Manufacturing Plant Music Tribe announces the consolidation of manufacturing operations and significant investment in a new high-tech facility to deliver its promise of innovative products and competitive pricing. Music Tribe is committed to the future of Tannoy and its enduring legacy of technical innovation. The company is heavily investing in product development and engineering while consolidating current manufacturing within Europe. In addition to Music Tribe’s nine global Innovation Centers, the company is now recruiting world-class engineers for its Acoustic Division in Manchester, UK to execute on the new Tannoy product road map. The consolidation will create additional employment within the Innovation and Research Divisions. Product Category Leader Chris Hinds adds: “With regret, the Coatbridge Landlord announced their intention to re-purpose the land and tear down the ageing facility (Housing proposal for Coatbridge factory site: http://ow.ly/EclU50C2KqR). We have decided to relocate manufacturing to another European facility, whilst also investing in our Manchester high-tech innovation center. We would like to pay our respects and thank all those affected for their incredible support and commitment.” Chris Hinds Product Category Loudspeaker Leader Will be interesting to see where they move manufacturing to in Europe as I didn't think that Music Tribe had much European manufacturing capability, only Lab.gruppen and that's being moved to their Asian factories.

4th Dec 2020, 12:20 am	#6
emeritus Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK. Posts: 5,337	Re: Tannoy factory closure auction That was what puzzled me. One item allegedly liable for VAT is a box of old screwdrivers, but from a skim though the only items where no vat was mentioned was those where no bid had been made. All the bid ones I looked at said the reserve price had not been reached. Not that I am interested in buying anything, just looking while it was too wet to go out.

4th Dec 2020, 2:53 am	#8
ajgriff Nonode Join Date: May 2004 Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 2,587	Re: Tannoy factory closure auction Depends on the type of auction apparently. The following quote from one auctioneer's website may help to clarify: "Most commercial auctioneers (i.e. those involved in disposal of commercial assets by reason of business mergers, administrations, liquidations, disposals etc.) sell under normal VAT rules. This is principally because the Auctioneers' Margin Scheme cannot be used where the goods have had VAT on their purchase reclaimed from HMRC - as will almost always be the case when auctioning goods previously bought by VAT registered businesses." I've never bought anything from a commercial auctioneer so have not been charged VAT on the hammer price. You live and learn. Alan

4th Dec 2020, 10:03 am	#9
McMurdo Dekatron Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Staffordshire Moorlands, UK. Posts: 5,270	Re: Tannoy factory closure auction The online catalogue of a closed factory is always a sad sight, not only the tools of manufacture such as the big 'magnetizers' and 'spray booths' but the messroom microwaves and fridges. Last summer I ordered a batch of wooden PA speakers from Tannoy and they were proudly marked 'Made in Britain'. The client was very pleased as he was upgrading from some older Tannoy speakers that were made before these offshore trends had been established. Despite one of them being dropped and broken by the courier, the build quality was stunning. (they were expensive, I would add!). The local rag up there reports that german parent Music Tribe (Behringer) were only moving the factory 'up the road' to a new factory, but then curiously changed their mind at the eleventh hour. Behringer have a huge city-like factory in China (there's a factory tour on youtube, shot in 2007) where hitherto most of the brands they took over are now made, AFAIK. Their UK service department is at another subsidiary (Klark Technik) in Kidderminster, I think, as that is where my replacement speaker and Final Test Certificate came from. https://youtu.be/NqUGLUJF7y4 __________________ Kevin

4th Dec 2020, 8:11 pm	#10
kevinaston1 Hexode Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Featherstone, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 386	Re: Tannoy factory closure auction My company distributed and serviced Tannoy Pro Audio around ten years ago, when they were part of the TC group. They were greatly loved by the disco fraternity. They were fine sounding cabinets, but the VNET 218DR was a disaster for them. Nothing wrong with the cabinet or its drivers, but their own design amplifier module was a complete waste of time, we never had one run for more than a couple of weeks. One local club had had so many amplifier modules fail, that TC authorised us to provided them with a free of charge Lab Gruppen amplifier to drive their racks of sub bass cabinets, we had to modify the cabinets by replacing the amplifier chassis panel with a braced wooden panel containing just a pair of Speakon connectors. Never had a recall to the club after that.